


Eternity in a week

by JenizaroFrank



Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-03
Updated: 2015-02-03
Packaged: 2018-03-10 09:15:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 2,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3284927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenizaroFrank/pseuds/JenizaroFrank
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This story was written as part of an English final project the day 01/31/2015 and presented the day 02/04/2015</p></blockquote>





	1. Sunday

What just happened? It looks like the world stopped in a single place on the planet. Many want to look, although nobody can, because very few are willing to swim to the bottom of the lake. Except one who looks very lost and confused. He is not drowning, although he wants to breathe. His eyes are not burning and they are filled with muddy water. He does not understand either what he is looking at: a dim shape on the lakebed. He only knows this is not the best place to stay and he eventually goes back to the surface.

He emerged from the lake, but nobody noticed. He did not leave a trail of water, so nobody cared. He approached the crowd, but nobody saw him. He nudged someone, who barely turned around. He tried to ask, speak and even yell, but nobody listened. He was starting to get nervous and he wondered again: what happened? He left the crowd behind and walked through the park. He greeted those who walked by, but nobody responded. Everybody ignored him, so he walked far without hesitation. Nobody would miss him; he went through the first bush and got lost.

Hours have passed since he started his journey. He would come back home, but something called his attention. A small insect —a mantis, ferocious yet elegant— was hunting. He held still just like the mantis, with his eyes pinned on the mantis while it watched a cockroach. His face got as close as he could as the mantis prepared its forelegs to attack. Both of them anticipated the capture, how exciting. Or at least it would have been so if only he would not have slipped and shaken the branches scaring away the cockroach. He shamefully looked at the confused mantis who responded with a gaze of its own. Bewildered, he caught the fleeing cockroach and gave it to the mantis who never looked away while eating. Perhaps nobody could see or hear him, but the mantis did. Even though talking was useless, he would try to communicate with it. There has to be a way.


	2. Monday

While it enjoyed the strong flavor of its prey, the mantis kept an eye on the unkempt giant. He looked like a human, but it has never seen such a strange one. His curiosity almost cost it its lunch, however he had the humbleness to help it. The mantis did not mind to be watched while eating, it would be rude to scape without at least thanking the meal.

When it finished with the cockroach, the mantis unfolded its wings and flew towards the giant. The odd giant did not expect the sudden flight and fell sitting on the earth. The mantis landed on his shoulder and extended its forelegs in order to feel his face. It was cold and feeble, typical from those who have a carnivorous animal close to the face. However, it was not expecting the response of the chilly giant. He held the mantis with extreme care between his hands to examine it better.

The mantis was on his palm like an actor on the scene. Its only spectator watched it very confused and then he took a mouthful of air and inflated his chest in order look bigger. The mantis played along and took the most menacing stance it could think of: unfolded its wings, stretched the legs as much as it could and raised its forelegs to look as big as possible. The giant stood still thinking, then he formed a hook with his fingers and approached the mantis who prepared its forelegs to attack. The response made him hold back and, in change, he only drew a finger near. The mantis held its attack pose just in case he tried to harm it. It saw the finger coming slowly, the mantis did not move while he gently rubbed its head. In response, the mantis grabbed the finger carefully and tickled the tip with its mandibles as proof of friendship.


	3. Tuesday

He could not even find words to describe what happened. The mantis responded to each one of his movements. Not only by instinct, by itself as well, an animal with simple necessities being able to react in such complex ways. He was stunningly impressed and remained on the ground immersed in his thoughts. However, the mantis flew towards his face to wake him up from his trance. He opened his hand and the mantis landed on the palm. It pointed forward with a foreleg, took flight again and flew where it pointed.

The mantis flew so fast that he had to run. It was getting dark as well, he was not particularly tired, only one thing was on his mind: “where are we going?” He tried to shout it, but he remembered it would be pointless. Besides, he needed to focus, it was hard to follow a small insect in the darkness. Finally they stopped near a thick tree. He looked the tree, but the mantis pointed upwards and flew to the lowest and thickest branch. There was no other option but climbing.

The branch was very solid and surprisingly comfortable. The mantis hid in a big and cozy hole meanwhile its friend was left outside, although he did not mind. The only thing bothering him was not being able to seek answers to all the questions he had in his head. So many questions but no answers, how would he ask anyway? It’s only an insect, how is it going to understand? Although it knows what affection is, but how? You know much more, don’t you? How could you guide me here? What would I have to do for you to understand me? And most importantly: what are you thinking right now?


	4. Wednesday

The mantis settled in the natural chamber. While the night darkened the landscape, the insect saw its great companion sitting near the threshold. He looked very worried, he was not looking at any particular direction while rubbing his forehead repeatedly. If only it could cheer him up, at least a couple of pats on the shoulder. He gave it something to eat, the mantis must be fair and show some gratitude.

Eventually its friend looked at it. It was hard for the mantis to see him through the darkness, but at least there was still some light. The insect saw him shrugging with his arms dropped close to his torso and open handed. The mantis tried hard to understand the complicated gesture, it was unsure how to react and it was starting to feel drowsy. Its only answer started unfolding one foreleg, then joined both retracted forelegs before leaning its head on them. Its friend had his eyes wide open and covered his mouth before he lay down on the branch face up.

“What happened to him? I only told him I was getting sleepy. He looks like he just saw a ghost. Silly human… If only everyone were this funny. At least this one is kind with me and isn’t afraid of me. They barely see me flying when they start running. Birds fly as well and I don’t see anyone running from them. Those guys are truly evil. I only hope this human keeps them away while I sleep. It’s been a long day.”


	5. Thursday

He spent the night without blinking. He could not just forget what happened. It answered to one question, only one. It was neither a hallucination nor a dream, he saw clearly how it used its body to answer. No words said or heard, and the mantis still understood. Besides, it already flew out from the hole and landed on his chest. It was early in the morning, but the sun was already shinning and it was time to eat.

He was forced to follow the mantis again, this time in search for some breakfast. He jumped off the tree after the mantis had retaken flight downwards. The route this day led them back to the park’s lake. Nobody was there, only the flowers that decorated the bridge and the bushes surrounding the lake shore, filled but many possible preys. However, dragonflies flew around with the same thing in mind: something to eat.

The dragonflies ignored him as well, but they surely focused on the mantis. He followed it to the lake shore where it drank some water. The dragonflies flew over the mantis and around the giant despite not being able to see him, but he knew very well what they were looking for. The mantis retook flight but the giant quickly stood before it and extended his hand in order to stop the insect. When it landed on his palm, the giant first pointed at the ground while calmly moving his head from one side to another. Then made the mantis look up, where a bunch of dragonflies flew downwards to catch it. The giant quickly covered the insect with his hands and ran away from the lake while the dragonflies bit his hands.


	6. Friday

It was a turbulent travel. The mantis bounced inside its friend’s hands while he shooed away the dragonflies. When he ran deep through the forest, the turbulence stopped and the mantis was freed. It felt very dizzy and a little bruised. It wanted to fly to his head and bite his ears, but its wings were a tad wrinkled and could not fly for a while.

The giant pointed repeatedly at the mantis while babbling something that he could not even understand. The insect looked puzzled at him while trying to decipher those strange gestures. He saved it from the dragonflies, it could understand that, but not why he was acting like that. Besides, the mantis was still hungry and has not eaten anything since this morning.

The mantis folded its forelegs together and put them near its mouth while vigorously moving its mandibles. Its friend looked at it confused while the mantis moved faster and faster its mandibles. The mantis continued with its pleas until it saw a nearby bush and pointed at it with a foreleg. Its friend look at the direction of the bush and still confused took the mantis there. Once they arrived, the mantis guided him with its forelegs where they should search until they found a juicy prey: a thick caterpillar. He understood perfectly: he caught the caterpillar and gave it to the mantis.


	7. Saturday

The giant looked for a good place to sit down. Under the shadow of a great tree was perfect. Tired and exhausted, he lay down on the soft ground and let the mantis eat on his chest. While the mantis ate at its pace, he watched it drowsy and thoughtful. The possibilities if only they could talk. What would such an intelligent insect say? All those stories he would listen, all those funny anecdotes he would laugh at. He could only think in the things the mantis would tell him while he closed his eyes.

When the mantis was done eating, it walked on the feeble surface of its friend until it found his face. He was sleeping, eyes well shut. The day passed and he barely moved. He seemed that he was having a funny dream while the wind gently blew away his essence little by little. There would be nothing left soon, just a memory. The mantis still owned him gratitude, but it was not sure if he would wake up on time to thank him, it only could imagine what would say.

“Wake up, come on, wake up!” it said while scratching his face with its forelegs. Its friend opened his eyes still sleepy. “Hey! Nice you woke up” The giant’s eyes grew when he heard it talking, he tried to talk back, but he felt his mouth full. “Don’t even try to talk. You tried before, but your words get distorted” The shocked giant watched the mantis as it took flight despite the gale. “We barely got to know each other, but I would like to thank you for helping me hunting. I would take you with me, but the wind reclaims you. Happy dreaming” After the farewell, the mantis flew without an exact route, while the giant remained on the ground gazing up, frustrated because he could not articulate a single word until the wind dispersed his consciousness.

**Author's Note:**

> This story was written as part of an English final project the day 01/31/2015 and presented the day 02/04/2015


End file.
